Victims of Ourselves
by Saranghae89
Summary: "If you're expecting some sort of deep, passionate confession from me about how much I missed you, you've got another thing coming," Sasuke sneered, eyes flashing from black to red. Naruto could tell from the desperation in his grip and the way his fingers lightly brushed against his thundering pulse, that Sasuke was lying through his teeth. NaruSasuNaru.
1. Prologue

**Victims of Ourselves  
** PROLOGUE

"Tsunade-sama, a word, please."

Tsunade was at her desk, scribbling furiously on the stack of papers before her. Her eyes were squinted, like she couldn't see what she was reading, or she was trying to understand what she was. Shizune stepped into the office nonetheless, biting at her bottom lip nervously. She looked at her Hokage for a few moments, not getting a response from the village's strongest, most respected Kunoichi.

Shizune cleared her throat and tried again. "Tsunade-sama–"

"_What?!_" Tsunade snapped, tearing her eyes away from her work.

Shizune cowered on instinct, backing away even though she wasn't anywhere near her desk. Her cheeks reddened in half fear, half embarrassment. She never knew why Tsunade-sama got angry at her so easily when all she ever wanted to do was -

"What is it, Shizune?" Tsunade pressed, her voice calmer, hazel eyes locking with Shizune's dark ones.

Not wanting to waste time since she finally had her undivided attention, Shizune spoke as fast and clearly as she could.

"It's about the verdict you announced earlier this evening."

"What about it?" Tsunade replied, just as fast. Her eyes were back on her papers and Shizune felt a heap of relief at the drop of eye contact.

"With all due respect, don't you think it was a little..." Shizune fumbled for the right word, "Harsh? I mean, he's only a child -"

"He will be 18 next year. As far as I know, that is the transition from being a teenager to an adult. Far from a child, as far as I'm concerned."

Shizune forced a smile. "I meant... compared to you and I. He's had a difficult childhood, a doomed clan, I mean; it could have been anyone of us–"

"Shizune, we're not going to sit here and dwell on what could have been. The only thing that matters is what _has_ been. And that '_child_' _has_ been a threat to this village since the day he left it. If you thought I'd just allow him to run free after he chose to abandon his comrades only to return with the intent to destroy them along with the rest of Konoha, you were sorely mistaken," Tsunade countered.

Shizune knew Tsunade-sama was right. But the verdict had made her sick. Sure, the idea of seeing the village destroyed and everyone, including herself, dead at the hands of a rouge ninja thirsty for vengeance didn't make her feel so good either, but... the alternative felt so... so _wrong._

She didn't even want to know how Naruto was dealing with it at the moment. She'd glanced over at him once during the verdict that evening, and wished she hadn't. He'd looked absolutely broken, like he hadn't eaten or slept in days. He never took his eyes off the defendant, their eyes burning into each other's. There'd been such a strong connection in the courtroom that Shizune wouldn't have been surprised if the entire place exploded from the tension.

And that's when the verdict was announced, and that's when she looked away.

"So it's final then? Uchiha Sasuke... will be sentenced to death," Shizune breathed the words. "What about... Naruto-kun?"

The hand that had been writing stopped abruptly as Tsunade raised her head to meet Shizune's very sorrowful expression. The corner of her mouth twitched and she sighed, placing her free hand to her forehead. She stared at nothing in particular for a moment before meeting Shizune's eyes once more.

"Naruto is a very strong young man. He will overcome this," Tsunade said, her voice hard. "Besides, shinobi are often faced with hard decisions. And I don't think there's ever been a harder decision for Uzumaki Naruto than Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

Naruto could not understand why he kept puking. There was absolutely _nothing_ in his stomach to come right back up. When his sight came back into focus, he was able to make out the transparent-slightly gray vomit in his bathroom sink, devoid of any actual color.

He was coughing now, his eyes stinging with tears as wave after wave of nausea struck him like lightning, choking him, causing his breaths to come out in short, chest-tightening heaves.

'_Death,' 'DEATH,' '__**DEATH!**__' _ The word had repeatedly mind-fucked him since he'd left the courtroom. He didn't know how he'd managed to actually walk, unlock his apartment door, and actually make it inside. He didn't understand how he was even functioning at this point. He was freaking out, he knew he was, but he couldn't help it.

He never thought there'd be a day where he'd have to hear that his best friend was going to be _put to DEATH_. He never thought he would be in the room, staring him _DEAD _in his even more _DEAD_ eyes as the word _DEATH_ sliced through the air around them like a katana. He never thought he would even _have_ a friend, let alone a _best _friend to begin with. But then Sasuke came along, and he'd become the most important person in Naruto's whole world.

Their history together went way deeper than what anyone in Konoha would know. There were things he and Sasuke had that couldn't be expressed with words, that wouldn't do them justice. What he and Sasuke had was complicated and explosive and dirty and damned and... _Theirs._

And now, with a snap of the Hokage's finger, all of that was going to be destroyed. Erased. _Dead._ And it didn't take a genius to know that once you were dead, you were _gone_. Forever. Naruto would be damned if he'd let someone take Sasuke away from him permanently, Hokage or not.

Trying to sedate Sasuke's hatred was like discovering the cure for cancer. Not impossible, but not so easy either. Naruto wasn't going to let all that training, blood, sweat, and tears be for naught. Sasuke was finally, _finally_ back where he belonged, and not so much as days later, sentenced to die.

"Fuck... that," Naruto ground out, his voice nearly gone from all the held back tears. His shaking hands slipped off of the edges of the sink and he fell to his knees, his sweat-coated forehead pressing against the cool of the bottom. He tried to slow down his breathing, his eyes shut as tight as they could.

There was nothing to cry about because Sasuke wasn't going to die. Sasuke _couldn't_ die.

365 days until Sasuke was scheduled to leave the world indefinitely. On his _birthday_, at that. Naruto felt a swelling in his heart and the tears fell past his blond lashes after all.

It was then that he realized just how fucked up Konoha really was.

**TBC**

* * *

**A/N**: Well, I hope you enjoyed! This was short due to it being a prologue. The NaruSasu shall commence! You'll just have to be patient. I hate to rush, it totally kills the fic, ya know? So, I hope you can bear with me. This will be a multi-chapter fic, depending on if I get feedback or not. So, if you've read it, please let me know what you think! A review doesn't take long, but writing? Oh lord… xo


	2. PART I

**A/N:** Thank you guys for your reviews, I really appreciate them. So sorry it took a while for me to update. There's school and all, plus I had to get the plot together and all of that, so I hope you'll forgive me. Here's the first part to make up for that. It's not as long as I'd wanted it to be, but I'll make sure the second part is. By the way, I'm not exactly sure how long this story will be. I'm thinking somewhere between 15 and 20 chapters, or longer if the story calls for it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to leave a review!

**Victims of Ourselves  
**PART I

Naruto woke up to find himself curled into a ball on the cold bathroom floor. It took a few moments for him to realize that he'd cried himself to sleep last night. He remembered how he'd broken down, his body wracked with broken sobs, and how he'd given into the bliss of unconsciousness due to the unbelievable situation.

He placed his hands on the tiles of the floor and forced his body to get up. He almost laughed at how pitiful he looked as he stared at his reflection through the small mirror above his sink. His blue eyes that were usually bright and vibrant from what he could tell were now slightly dull, darker in color.

His blond hair was even wilder than it usually was, most likely from the way he'd pulled at it in frustration and from where he'd been asleep.

His bottom lids were rimmed a deep crimson and were puffy, like they'd been scraped against concrete repeatedly. He found his mouth to be dry and disgustingly sour, and when he tried to clear the bile from the back of his throat, it felt as if he'd strained his voice and screamed it raw.

Yeah, his voice wouldn't be the same for a while.

He managed to brush his teeth and splash water on his face before he heard a knock at the front door. His heart leapt up into his throat with hope until he realized that it couldn't be _him_.

He let out a sigh as whoever it was knocked again. He _really_ didn't want to see anybody. Not now.

He reluctantly faced his door and looked through the peep-hole. Upon seeing who it was, he quickly unlocked the door, swallowing once before he opened it.

As soon as he did, Sakura swung her arms around his neck and squeezed hard, knocking the wind out of him for a second. He stumbled a little but caught himself, stiffening as he felt a stream of wetness sliding down his back. She was crying, moaning incoherent words, her body shaking as she made fists in the back of Naruto's t-shirt.

"N-Na-ru-t-to," Sakura sobbed, the pitch of her voice getting higher with each syllable of her teammate's name. "S-Sasuke-kun is–"

"Shhhh," Naruto lifted shaking hands to slowly caress her hair as she clung to him. He tried to soothe her while struggling to keep his own emotions under control.

She had to be in extreme emotional pain to allow Naruto to hold her like this. There'd never been much physical contact between them other than her beating the shit out of him daily, or at least her threatening that she was going to. But now, with the news of Sasuke, he knew Sakura would be a mess to the very end.

That was why he had to be the stronger one, for the sake of her and more than anything, his sanity. He didn't think he'd be able to take it if Sakura crumbled before him when he had the power to do something about it. He was _going_ to save Sasuke, if it was the last thing he did. Even if it killed him in the process, he didn't care. As long as Sasuke was alright, he _didn't care._

Sakura pulled away abruptly, green eyes watery as the tears continued to flow. "How could this happen? How could Tsunade-sama _do_ this?"

Naruto swallowed, "She's the Hokage."

Sakura's eyes searched his, her brow wrinkling in what looked like a mixture of confusion and bewilderment. Naruto looked back at her, keeping his face as impassive as possible. Whatever fresh tears he felt threatening to fall, he held them back on willpower alone.

"Is... Is that all you have to say?" Sakura asked, her voice faltering. "She sentenced Sasuke to _die_, Naruto! Wasn't he– _isn't_ he your best friend?"

"I won't let them kill him," Naruto pressed.

"You think you can stop them?"

"I will."

"You're going to get yourself killed, Naruto."

"Maybe," Naruto said, jaw clenched. "But if that's what it costs to save him, I'm going full throttle. I'm not the one who needs to be saved, Sakura-chan. He is. I've been nothing but a burden to him. If I die, wherever I end up, I know I'll be happy because he'll be alive, here where he belongs."

Naruto saw Sakura's mouth quiver like she was going to cry again and before he could change the subject, she made her way into the kitchen, turning on the teapot.

Now that Naruto thought about it, tea sounded really good at the moment. He dragged himself to the kitchen and leaned against the counter near the stove, folding his arms tightly across his chest.

"You look awful," Sakura observed. "Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"Yeah... My body kind of shut down. If I'd had any control of myself I doubt I would have slept at all. What about you?"

Sakura let out a breath and wiped at her tear-stained face. Naruto wondered how she still managed to look beautiful after crying so much. He knew _he_ wasn't a sight for sore eyes.

"No. I stayed up all night thinking about him." Green eyes met blue. "About all of us."

Naruto nodded silently. He didn't want to think about the past, the memories of Team Seven. All that mattered to him now was the future and the future memories he'd make once they were all reunited for good.

The soft whistling of the teapot on the stove broke the silence as Sakura cleared her throat and grabbed two mugs from a nearby cabinet.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, what are you doing today?" Naruto asked, watching as she inserted teabags in the mugs before pouring the boiling hot water, the steam a silhouette around her face.

"I'm supposed to meet up with Sai at the library. He says he needs my help finding a book on something."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Sai was _still_ in that _reading_ phase of his life? "What's the topic this time?"

Sakura shrugged. "Don't know. It must be important though, since he insisted that I join him."

"Careful, Sakura-chan, I think he's got a thing for you," Naruto teased, almost recoiling from the death glare Sakura threw him.

"Don't make me poison your tea," Sakura threatened, fingers lingering over his now tea-filled mug for emphasis. Naruto's eyes widened a fraction and he quickly snatched his mug off of the counter, causing some of the blistering liquid to splash on his shirt, no doubt burning his chest.

"AAHH! _SHIT_!" He set the drink back on the counter and blew at his reddened skin.

"Idiot," Sakura barked, "I wasn't _serious_. What are your plans for today besides acting like a spazoid?"

After recovering from whatever degree of burns he'd gained, Naruto calmed down enough to answer her question. "I'm gonna talk to Tsunade-baachan."

Sakura perked up, her eyes hopeful. "Did she summon you?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. But we need to talk. I need to know just what the hell she thinks she's doing."

"Naruto, you can't just barge in there and -!"

"Do you want Sasuke to live or not?"

Shiny green eyes widened, dainty jaw clenching, "Of _course_ I do."

"Then trust me."

* * *

After a much needed shower, a change of clothes, Naruto felt a little better. At least, his hygiene did. His heart and soul were a completely different story. He couldn't feel too confident in trying to convince Tsunade-baachan, who had the power to end his one true best friend, to _not_ end said best friend, especially since he'd made it clear that he was nothing more than a threat to Konoha.

Naruto pushed the doubt out of his mind as he headed inside the Hokage Tower. He'd almost made it to her office when Shizune stepped outside of it, closing the door behind her. She looked up at him and did a double take, a look of genuine surprise masking her features. He didn't understand why though. It should have been common sense to know he'd show up here sooner or later.

"Naruto-kun," Shizune spoke, her voice wary. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto cocked his head towards the door, "Tsunade-baachan in there?"

Shizune nodded slowly, "Yes… But you're going to have to wait to see her. She'll be having a very important meeting with the Elders soon and I'm sure they wouldn't like to be kept waiting."

Naruto suddenly felt very anxious. This _couldn't_ wait. Sure, 365 – scratch that, _364_ days seemed like a long time in some cases, but for someone awaiting the death penalty, those days could go by really, _really_ fast. He had to save him as soon as possible, had to get rid of his hatred as soon as possible…

"How long until the meeting starts?" He asked. His eyes were locked on the door.

"Fifteen minutes."

"I'll be done by then."

With that, Naruto burst into the office, ignoring Shizune's frantic "Naruto-kun!" and shutting the door behind him. The sudden slam must have alarmed Tsunade-baachan, because she spun around in her quickly in her chair, and when she realized it was him, she gave him an unreadable look.

"I'm busy, Naruto," was all she said, avoiding eye contact.

"I want to see him."

Tsunade looked up at him, eyebrow raised. She let out a sigh and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. She didn't say anything for a while, as if contemplating her answer. Hopeful blue eyes stared back at her and she felt her heart tighten in her chest as she looked into them.

Naruto was always so determined, the true face of youth. Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, suddenly feeling dreadful. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu would be there soon, in the office, no doubt to discuss the decision they'd so _eagerly_ "helped" her come to.

"Baachan…" Naruto trailed off. _She's gonna say no, she's gonna say no! _

"Fine."

Naruto blinked at her, and he was positive that his face was a perfect sculpture of surprise. Did she just say what she thought he did?

She got up, then walking around her desk, heading for the door. "Stay here for a moment," she ordered. "You'll need to be escorted."

Naruto swallowed at the anticipation that he was actually allowed to see Sasuke again, and on such short notice. He watched in stunned silence as the Hokage walked out of the office. He stood still as a statue as he heard faint murmurs. He could hear Tsunade-baachan's voice as well as what sounded like two other men.

A few seconds later, the slightly cracked door was pushed all the way open and in walked Tsunade-baachan with two Anbu Black Ops behind her. One wore the mask of a tiger, and the other a bird.

It had always amused Naruto that Anbu could be so serious with such ridiculous things on their faces. The two Anbu stepped farther into the office, in front of Naruto as the Hokage stood behind her desk.

"I'll need you two to escort Uzumaki Naruto to the Correctional Facility where Uchiha Sasuke is being held," she said, her tone demanding.

Naruto felt his body twitch at the sound of his friend's name being voiced aloud.

The two Anbu shared a look before bowing in unison, in a display of absolute respect. "Yes, Hokage-sama," they also voiced in unison. "How long is he to see Mr. Uchiha?" Tiger mask asked.

"That will be up to the guards at the facility," she answered, sitting back down in her rolling chair.

The Anbu nodded and turned to face Naruto. They walked past him and left the office, prompting Naruto to follow them. Naruto threw a last glance over his shoulder.

"Oi, Baachan," Naruto called behind him.

She looked up at him, a slight look of irritation on her face, probably because he kept calling her _Granny_, and probably because she thought he had another request for her. He didn't.

"Thank you," he whispered.

* * *

Pale hands slid up the cool exterior of the metallic silver bars that separated the host from the rest of the prisoners. They kept him in a different cell, in a different block from the others, secluded and alone.

Just the way he liked it. The farther away he was from the rest of humanity, the easier it was for his to not exist. Emotions were for the _weak_.

Dark eyes wandered to the tray of "breakfast" next to him, if the imbeciles actually called the slimy, soggy dish that. When the guard had brought it to him, it took all his willpower not to chew it and spit it right back in the fat-ass's face.

Instead, he'd allowed the guard to plop it down on the ground, and only when he'd left and locked up the cell again, did Sasuke examine it, screw his face in disgust and fling it against the once white wall.

He would rather starve than put such inedible trash in his body. And besides, weren't they going to _kill_ him eventually? What the fuck was the point in trying to nurture him in the meantime?

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the sheer stupidity of the people of Konoha. Though he had to admit, locking him up was the best thing for them. He'd been _so close_ to destroying the worthless shit hole of a village. _So fucking close_.

And then he'd hesitated. He growled at what was the cause of it and quickly pushed it out of his thoughts. This wasn't the time to reflect and regret.

He didn't get to eviscerate Konoha like he'd wanted to, but that didn't mean nobody else wouldn't. He was positive he wasn't the only one with a grudge against the village and its people. He _knew_ there were others.

It was only a matter of time before another big bad wolf would make its presence known and become an even larger threat. Sasuke was counting on it.

He'd soon come to realize that he didn't give a damn if it was him or someone else annihilating the village where he'd once resided and once fought to protect. As long as it _was_ annihilated, he didn't much care who it was that finished the job.

And wherever he'd be by then, he would _laugh._ He would laugh the most genuine, honest laugh an Uchiha could give, because that would mean he'd _won_ and Konoha had _lost._

He almost smiled, and then he realized just who _else_ was a part of the village that he'd grown to despise so much. He hated himself for even _thinking _about the total _moron_ who still managed to grate on his nerves.

He also hated the feeling he got when he thought about someone other than him laying a finger on said moron, much less killing him. He was sure he'd made it clear to Naruto that _he_ would be the fucking death of him.

It was Naruto's fault anyway. He was always in his business, always in his head, occasionally messing with his state of mind, constantly pissing Sasuke off. He just wanted him to _go away_. Sasuke didn't need him, didn't _want_ to need him. He just wanted him gone out of his life so that he could finally; _hopefully_ have some peace of mind.

He didn't need him. He didn't need anybody.

The loud buzz that indicated that a guard was entering his cell block snapped Sasuke out of his thoughts. He heard faint murmurs of more than one person and couldn't make out what was being said. It had to have something to do with him though, since no one came around these parts more than twice a day.

"...in here..."

The voices were getting clearer. Sasuke found himself inching closer to the bars, trying to hear as much as possible.

"...you have ten minutes..."

_A visitor? _Sasuke dismissed the thought. No, it couldn't be.

"...got to be kidding me...!"

_That voice..._

"...you want to see him or not?"

Sasuke felt his heart race in anticipation. No, no, no. He heard a muffled sound and could only guess that it was a grunt in reply to the guard's question.

Then he heard the telltale noise of keys jingling and the metal door was opening. He slowly slid away from the bars and listened to multiple footsteps approaching his cell.

He could hear his pulse drumming in his ears with each step that was taken. First he saw the prison guard, then two Anbu, and it seemed like time had come to a complete stop as he saw all-too familiar blond hair, and even more familiar orange clothing. Blue eyes immediately locked on his, and Sasuke felt his fingers curling into fists.

"Sasuke..." the teenager rasped. His voice was anything but stable.

_Naruto..._

**TBC**_  
_


	3. PART II

**Victims of Ourselves  
**PART II

Naruto's heart was beating so hard in his chest that he was sure it was audible in the now very quiet cell block that held the person responsible for his accelerated heart rate. He would have said that he didn't like how Sasuke was looking at him _if_ the bastard actually was. Naruto had caught his eye the second he'd entered, and he'd seen something in them, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Whatever it was that he saw in his vengeful ex-comrade's gaze had dissipated almost immediately once they'd locked eyes. It saddened Naruto that Sasuke wouldn't look at him and that he wouldn't acknowledge his presence. It was only a reminder of how far Naruto _hadn't_ come in figuring him out.

In the courtroom, Naruto's eyes had been stuck on Sasuke, and much to his surprise, Sasuke had reciprocated. Naruto had been absolutely stunned by just how dark his eyes were, how cold and empty they had looked. Naruto didn't feel like Sasuke had been just looking at him, but _through_ him.

He would never admit it, but the look had not only caught him off guard. It had exhilarated him. It had given him the most satisfying thrill to get such intense attention from the one person he had always wanted to recognize him, from the one person who actually _mattered._

Naruto cared for a lot of people, but there was something about Sasuke that was different. He felt things for Sasuke that didn't awaken in him when he was with other people. With Sasuke, things were just so complex, so frustrating, yet somehow, some way, he'd grown fond of the Uchiha.

Naruto eyed Sasuke for a few moments before turning to the prison guard, who stood with his arms crossed, looking at nothing in particular.

Naruto cleared his throat and then spoke, "Could you leave us alone for a couple of minutes?"

The guard raised an eyebrow, a look of disapproval on his face before he looked over at the two Anbu, who were now by the main door, their masked faces impassive as they looked straight ahead. The guard threw a look in Sasuke's direction before sighing.

"Ten minutes," the guard's rough voice broke the stillness of the room with the authority in his tone. "Visiting hours doesn't usually start this early."

The guard began walking away before Naruto stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"Aren't you gonna let him out?" Naruto asked, cocking his head towards the occupied cell. The guard looked down at where Naruto held him and the blond took that as his cue to release him.

"Is it impossible to talk to him through the bars?" the guard asked, and Naruto narrowed his eyes. _It's impossible to talk to him in general_, he thought bitterly. "I didn't think so," the guard finished dryly.

"You're wasting time, Naruto-kun," Tiger Face spoke, his mask still. Naruto's eyes lingered over to him, still narrowed.

The guard pulled his arm out of Naruto's grasp and held up nine fingers, a clear indication that his time was running out. Damn it. He couldn't discuss with Sasuke what he really wanted to if those damn Anbu were there. He threw the idea of them leaving the room out of his mind. There was no way they'd go against Tsunade-baachan's orders, the loyal bastards. Naruto supposed he could discuss his plan to Sasuke some another time – he'd concluded that there _would_ be another time – where they'd be alone.

The Anbu swiftly moved aside as the guard opened the door and left the room. Naruto rubbed his now damp palms on the sides of his pants as he warily stepped up to Sasuke's cell.

Instead of sitting on what looked like the extremely uncomfortable cot pressed against the far wall inside the cell, Sasuke sat in front of it, one knee to his chest, his arm lazily draped over it. He wore a cheap cotton white long sleeved shirt (which looked slightly large on him) that almost resembled pajamas, with the number **012606** printed in bold black font on the front.

He wore drab black pants and was his feet were bare. Naruto almost cracked a smile; Sasuke would never be caught dead in such clothes, had he not been in his current situation. He seemed to be keeping his physical appearance up, though, since his pale skin was flawless as ever, and his dark hair – which was just as dark as his eyes – practically screamed 'arrogant bastard'.

It was only when Naruto's eyes travelled back up his body that he was aware that his imprisoned friend was watching him with fierce eyes, his fists clenching and unclenching. The look in Sasuke's eyes was feral, like he wanted to slip through the cracks of the bars and completely throttle him. Naruto felt a dark feeling stir deep in his belly and he cleared the bile that had risen from the back of his throat.

He forced himself to smile, because with Sasuke looking as if he wanted to shred him in two, he had to at least show the other teen that he wasn't here for that. For now, Naruto had to show him that he had support, that he still had him on his side, that he wasn't… alone in this. It didn't take Byakuugan to notice that Sasuke was the only prisoner in this part of the jail.

Was it because he was going to be executed? Or was it because Sasuke was just a special case? Whatever, the reason was, Naruto wanted answers. Sasuke hadn't returned the blond's cautious smile, and Naruto hadn't expected him to.

"H-How are they treating you?" Naruto hated the way he stuttered. What the fuck was wrong with him? He'd spoken to Sasuke plenty of times in the course of his life. Of course, he'd been apart from him for three and a half years, and in those years, hormones were raging, and his body had grown in ways he still was unsure about.

He wondered how Sasuke had dealt with his growth spurt over the years and an unwelcome thought of Orochimaru discussing the birds and the bees or whatever they called it with side commentary by that slick fucker Kabuto. He quickly pushed the image out of his mind.

"_Lovely_," Sasuke actually answered him, his voice menacing. "Just look at this 5-star breakfast they sent me," he added, lifting the tray with toppled over food derived of color and deliciousness. He threw it back down with a loud clank and rolled his eyes. "How do you _think_ they're treating me?"

"You tell me," Naruto said, looking at everything but the 'food' that was now scattered over the ground.

Sasuke scoffed, "I don't have to tell you anything."

Naruto let out a sigh. So that was how it was going to be? "I see you still haven't changed your bastard ways. You're still as frustrating as ever, aren't you?"

"Do you have nothing better to do with yourself? Or does your life consist of messing with mine?" Sasuke countered.

"We need to talk, Sasuke–"

"Not interested."

Naruto suddenly felt himself lunge at the bars as he grabbed hold of two, his knuckles banging against the steel. "Dammit, Sasuke! This is about your fucking life!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. His eyes burned into Sasuke's, the other boy's expression remained impassive. "Do you even care?"

"No," Sasuke said, his voice and expression serious. "Konoha wins again."

"What?" Naruto heard himself ask.

"You heard me," Sasuke said. "Your precious village got what they wanted. They've caught me, they've locked me up, and now they're getting rid of me – indefinitely."

_How, Sasuke? How can you say that so easily?_ _Do you... do you even know what you just said?_

Naruto took a quick look at his escorts by the exit. He hated those masks. He hated not being able to read emotions, having to guess and try to gauge reactions to tell what someone was feeling. And half of the time, that didn't even work.

Naruto loosened his grip on the bars and lowered his voice, "You're not going to die, Sasuke. I'm gonna convince Granny Tsunade to–"

"To what – change her mind?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You're still a complete idiot."

"It's not totally impossible."

"You don't know anything about the higher-ups, do you?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Higher-ups?"

"Forget it." Sasuke shook his head, dark bangs swishing over his forehead. "I don't feel like explaining anything to you."

"If it's that important, I'll find out eventually."

"It isn't, and you won't."

* * *

"Is July twenty-third of next year the official date?" Tsunade asked, crossing her legs as she addressed the Elders sitting across from her. They'd been over an hour late, and she'd almost laughed at the audacity of the power that they held over her when they had no actual respect for being on time.

"Why?" Utatane quipped, the corners of her eyes crinkling further. "Did you have another date in mind?"

When Tsunade doesn't say anything, Homura leans next to Utatane and says loud enough for Tsunade to hear his next words.

"It seems as though our Hokage isn't fully on board with getting rid of Uchiha Sasuke."

Utatane raises a thin eyebrow. "Is that so?" she asked, looking directly at Tsunade.

"Uchiha Sasuke has made choices – bad choices, but you must know that killing him would be pointless. No matter what, he is a member of this village and I will not have–"

"He _was_ a member of this village. Have you forgotten already that he went rogue?" The tone of Utatane's voice grated at Tsunade's nerves.

"Of course I haven't," Tsunade answered, keeping her voice as level as she could. "But we have him where we want him. He's in prison. Wouldn't it satisfy you more that he stays in prison, regretting everything he's done, going against Konoha, than to be free of all of his troubles by a quick and painless death?"

"Who said it was going to be quick and painless?" Homura scoffed.

"You know, I would love to hear what your alternative would be, Tsunade," Utatane said, folding her hands in her lap.

"I've already taken this up with the rest of the Council," Tsunade affirmed. "And they didn't look like they were so opposed to my suggestion."

"Oh? And what suggestion might that be?"

"Put Uchiha Sasuke on a one year probation."

* * *

"What's with that look on your face? This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Naruto could only stare at her with his mouth agape. "Yes… I mean... I… What do you mean by Sasuke's going to be put on probation?"

"It's exactly how it sounds," Tsunade asserted, her eyes roving around his apartment as she directed the two Anbu from earlier to collect measurements of the place. "Sasuke will have a year of probation and if he screws up, he'll be right back in that jail cell."

Naruto's eyes lit up at that. "So… so he's not going to…?"

"Be killed?" Tsunade finished for him. "That will depend on his actions while outside of the prison. I had to pull a lot of strings and I had to put up with a lot from the Elders, so if he happens to ruin his chance of winning back this village's trust, for him there will be hell to pay."

Naruto felt a sudden leap in his heart that he knew couldn't be defined as anything but relief. He didn't know whether to cry, or scream, or give Tsunade the biggest smooch she'd ever had in her life.

This would make things easier, much easier. If Sasuke wasn't going to be in prison, then he'd have plenty of chances to talk to him, to see him. He'd immediately start on trying to make things like they were. They would be a team again, right? Him, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, Sai…

_Sai?_

Naruto's mouth turned down in a slight frown. What would happen with Sai? Naruto hated to admit it, but he had slightly grown a little fond of that annoyingly blunt shinobi.

"So how will this probation thing work? Where's he going to be staying? The old Uchiha district?"

"No. That place has been closed off. I doubt he'd want to go there anyway, since the tragic event that took place there is what has him in this position in the first place."

An idea suddenly popped into Naruto's mind. "He can stay here."

Tsunade gave him a look. "That won't be necessary. We've already got an apartment set up for him. He'll be living there, on twenty-four hour watch by these two Anbu," she explained, motioning towards said Anbu. Naruto followed her motions and eyed them with confusion.

"Then why are they taking measurements of _my_ place?" he asked.

"It's for back-up purposes. Your apartment isn't the only one that's going to be measured. Just in case there's a problem with the living space of Sasuke's. This is just an alternative."

So there was a possibility that Sasuke _could_ be living with him.

"Ah." Naruto looked back at Tsunade, folding his arms over his chest. "So they're going to make sure he doesn't slip up, huh?"

"If they know what's good for them. Although, I doubt Sasuke will be much of a threat seeing how his chakra's been sealed off and he's been stripped of his weapons."

"For the safety of the village," Naruto said weakly. "You guys really don't trust him."

"How can we?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know… I don't care. Sasuke's not going anywhere, that's all I care about."

Tsunade's expression softened as she regarded Naruto with warm eyes. "You really care about this boy, don't you?"

Naruto needn't answer. He hoped it was obvious by now.

"When will he be out?" Naruto asked, anxious to know.

"The paper work shouldn't take too long," Tsunade asserted. "Another day at the most. He'll be interrogated again, checked out, and sent on his way."

When Naruto didn't say anything, Tsunade and the guards made their way to leave. He stood there, immobile as everything sunk in. He let out a deep breath once the door closed. He placed his forehead on it, banging it a little, but the pain was nil because his brain was numb with thoughts of Sasuke.

"Sasuke," he breathed as he felt a stinging sensation in both of his eyes. "You're coming home…" He felt himself slide down, brought to his knees.

As the salty tears fell down his cheeks, he felt a much more relieved feeling inside. He wasn't crying this time because out of grief, but happiness.

Sasuke may have been distant and cold at the prison when he'd visited him earlier, but Naruto knew that he couldn't be that way forever. He couldn't be empty inside forever. Not with Naruto as his friend. He wouldn't stand for it.

_I'll cure you, Sasuke. I'll cure you of your hatred. If it's the last thing I do… I'll cure you._

He didn't think the next day could come fast enough.

**TBC**

**A/N: **I hope you guys enjoyed this part. I would have loved to spend more time on it, but life just got in the way, so this is how it turned out. Yay for Sasuke _not_ being sentenced to die... for now, at least. And seriously, while I appreciate all of the follows and faves of this story, it wouldn't hurt to leave a review every now and then, would it? Honestly, they're what keep me going. So please, if you read this chapter, please review? With a NaruSasu/SasuNaru cherry on top?


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